Kids take the darnedest things literally. Even after they’ve learned that Santa may not exist and that object permanence is a thing (“Hey, you’re still there! Even when you cover your face!”), there’s still so much for them to discover. Like the fact that there are different meanings to the word “bear” and that when the GPS says “bear right,” it’s informing the driver of which way to go and not alerting the passengers in the car of the clear and present danger that a bear looking for a picnic basket might present. Also: bears generally don’t show up in unwooded areas, but kids don’t know that either.
In the video above, two kids try to make sense of exactly why they’re hearing the word “bear” when no bear is in sight and it’s pretty damn adorable. Not only is it funny watching them freak out, but it’s a nice reminder of how innocent childhood can be. Watch the kid on the left (Austin) go from being confused about where the bear “on the right” disappeared to, to being afraid that the bear might attack, to being concerned that the bears in the zoo are in cages when some of them might be nice.
Props to this kid’s sister, too, who’s starting her campaign of terror very early. “It’s a nice bear,” Austin says, barely coming down from a jag of hysterical weeping.
“I think it’s a mean bear,” his mumbles back, sending him into more panic. Bravo! If there were a badge for terrorizing your siblings, this girl would have absolutely earned one this day.